Fashion Forward Dubai (FFWD), the progressive regional fashion platform, today announces EPIC, an empowerment program that tackles business development challenges faced by regional designers through a series of initiatives.
In collaboration with Samsung Electronics MENA, endorsed by the Dubai Design and Fashion Council (DDFC) and supported by Dubai Design District (d3), EPIC will deliver a calendar of regional and international events, workshops, sponsorship opportunities, influencer and scholarship programs. All have been made possible through synergetic collaboration with industry partners who strive to achieve similar objectives.
Founded upon FFWD’s aim to strengthen the regional ecosystem of emerging fashion talent, and supported by Samsung’s increasing commitment to delivering technologies that empower the fashion industry, EPIC aims to provide Fashion Forward designers and d3 creative partners, with an opportunity to cultivate their success throughout the year, in line with Dubai’s national mandate to become a hub of creativity for the region.
Until December 2016, EPIC will focus on five key initiatives with the aim of creating business and higher education opportunities, fostering partnerships, maximizing exposure and offering practical tools to participating designers. As a dedicated partner to EPIC, Samsung will be integrating its technologies into each initiative to leverage both the experience and success of the program.
“EPIC aims to answer the challenges faced by regional designers when entering the fashion and retail landscape. The ‘MENA Design Outlook’ report issued by DDFC, supported by d3 and in collaboration with Deloitte[1] concluded that although the region’s design industry is witnessing considerable growth, to reach optimal level a series of gaps must be addressed. Technology has a large role to play in addressing these gaps, and together with the support of Samsung, DDFC and d3 we hope to bring new approaches that will enable regional designers with greater opportunities to streamline their path to commercial viability,” said Ramzi Nakad, COO and co-founder of FFWD. “Over the past seven seasons of FFWD we have seen many regional designers receive international and regional acclaim as well as commercial buy zyban online success, and we are excited to help further nurture that talent, and to see them thrive in an ever-changing and challenging global industry.”
We believe that technology only begins to have meaning when you put it in the hands of the people and when this technology collides with people’s potential, amazing things can happen. Recognizing the importance of the fashion industry in this region, we are keen and passionate to continue on enabling it from a grassroots level in the Middle East. Today, our technology brings meaningful innovation inspiring people to defy barriers,” said Abdo Chlala, Regional Head of IT and Mobile Division at Samsung MENA.
Mohammad Saeed Al-Shehhi, Chief Operating Officer, Dubai Design District, commented, “Fashion Forward’s EPIC is set to be a brilliant project and d3 is delighted to offer full support to the five initiatives with the aim of maximizing international exposure. d3 is always keen to support programs that are geared towards enabling its local and regional designers to reach their full potential globally. By inspiring them to flourish through programs such as this, and through building the supportive infrastructure they need at d3, we will help the growth of the industry and assist in the vision of the diversification of Dubai’s knowledge economy. At d3, it is our responsibility to support designers by listening to what they need from their work environment and wider industry in order to help them achieve the levels of recognition and commercial success they deserve.”
Nez Gebreel, CEO of Dubai Design and Fashion Council, commented, ‘’As a staunch supporters of Dubai’s Smart City initiatives, we appreciate efforts at creating new transformative opportunities for the regional fashion industry through technology. We are pleased to endorse Fashion Forward’s EPIC; an initiative that is dedicated to our collective goals of fostering the immense potential of regional design talent, by bridging the gaps faced by the industry today, and thereby solidifying Dubai’s reputation as a global fashion destination.’’
